Bitter Sweet is a debut novel by Hattie Williams that was very uncomfortable to read but also impossible to put down.

Charlie is a 23 year old who has landed a dream job as an assistant at a well known London publishing house. And she is over the moon because she will be part of the team working with Richard Aveling, her idol, with the release of his new book. Charlie and Richard meet by chance and there is an instant connection. Richard is 30 years older, married and famous but Charlie and Richard begin a forbidden affair that has to be kept secret from the rest of the world.

This coming of age story about a young, naive girl is so very relatable. She is so star struck by her literary idol that she can’t see how unhealthy and isolating the relationship is. This is a story of vulnerability, self love, sacrificing happiness for someone else and how childhood trauma can affect adulthood. This story also contains themes of found family, mental health issues and healing. Once the groundwork for Charlie’s story was laid out, I was hooked!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the opportunity to read an ARC of Bitter Sweet in exchange for my honest review.

Sometimes the things you love most are the very things that can tear you apart.
Charlie is 23 and a new publicity assistant in an independent publishing house in London. They also happen to publish books by Richard Aveling, a writer that Charlie has admired since she was young, having read and cherished each of his novels. Now, they are publishing a long awaited book by Richard and after meeting, they embark on an all-consuming and illicit affair.

This is way outside of my usual genres and I would describe it as literary/contemporary fiction but I just devoured it in a day!
It explored so many sensitive topics, of power, vulnerability, abuse and mental health. In places you just want to scream at Charlie and parts of the novel were heartbreaking. The story also encompassed family and friendships and the human condition and I love to see the way characters grow throughout the story. The writing was immersive and it was a fabulous novel.

This one proves very many adages are terribly true - never meet your heroes, everywhere I go there I am, and many more. I wanted to jump through the pages to simultaneously hug Charlie and throttle her within in an inch of her life for her bad decisions and damaging self talk. It's all a painful but important reminder to see it written in black and white. I very much enjoyed it, if one can enjoy sitting back and watching a life implode.

4.5 Stars! Bitter Sweet follows Charlie, a twenty-three-year-old publicity assistant at a London publishing house, who becomes entangled in an illicit and all-consuming affair with Richard Aveling, a fifty-six-year-old, married, and celebrated author whom she has long idolized. As their affair progresses, Charlie finds herself deeply immersed in a relationship that begins to unravel her sense of self.

The novel explores grief, adultery, power dynamics, class, and mental health. From the beginning of the book, you can tell that Charlie is still grieving the loss of her mother, who died when Charlie was just 16. This profound grief fuels her illicit affair with Richard and impacts other parts of her life. It was unsettling to realize she had idolized this man since her teenage years, which made their eventual affair feel particularly disturbing.

It's so obvious that Richard isn’t right for her. He’s a charismatic cheater who is controlling and manipulative. Richard gave her the bare minimum and she lapped it up! She had this 56-year-old married man belittling her and ruining her life from the inside out. But she’s so young, naive, vulnerable, and sees it all through rose-colored glasses, completely blind to the truth.

I know Charlie’s a fictional character, but this applies to real life too. It’s so upsetting to see someone deserve so much better, and they are so blinded they can’t see it for themselves! Throughout the novel, I wanted to shake some sense into her. Like, pull yourself together! PLEASE, STAND UP! 😩

I LOVED her friends Ophelia and Eddy. Everyone needs friends like them. Friends who put you in your place, call you out on your shit, but are always there for you! Not gonna lie, Charlie was not the easiest person to deal with, but they stayed by her side.

Her boss, Cecile, was also a great leader! Maybe the bare minimum of a manager, but cared for her, was supportive of her work, and fought for her, amongst other things I won’t detail because of spoilers.

There were a couple of things that kept me from rating this 5 stars. I thought one of the characters didn’t need to be included, as he didn’t add or deduct anything from the plot. And I wish she would have called out the people who hurt her in the past! But overall, I really enjoyed this novel and would recommend it. Also, if you’re a fan of Caroline O’Donoghue, I think you would like this too!

Thank you to NetGalley, Ballantine Books, and Hattie Williams for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

This was a really honest, vulnerable book. It explored a lot of heavy topics in a way that was nuanced and real but wasn’t too emotionally overwhelming — grief, toxic relationships, etc. The romantic relationship and its flaws were really well done, and the author did a great job of looking at imbalanced relationships, whether that be an age gap, differing social status, class, or more. The side characters were also very well rounded and added a lot to the story.

23 year old Charlie is working as an assistant at a publishing house when she meets Richard, a famous author who is 30 years her senior. Charlie has had a special connection to Richard's work since she was a child, so she's thrilled when he takes an interest in her. Before long, she finds herself falling into an affair with him. Their relationship is based on secrecy and control, and Charlie quickly finds herself unable to imagine a future without Richard.

I was so drawn in by this book. Charlie is one of those characters who is messy and makes a lot of stupid decisions, but you can't help but love her. I found myself wanting to reach through the page and force Charlie to stop what she was doing. It was a little like a train wreck you can't look away from.

There were also some excellent side characters in this story. Even though the affair is the main focus of the book. the moments of friendship between Charlie, Ophelia, and Eddy were really great.

The author had incredibly strong prose and I was really impressed with this being a debut.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine for the ARC!

Charli has landed her first "real job" after college - a junior assistant at the company that publishes her favorite author, Richard Aveling, sharing an apartment with her two best friends/coworkers Cecelia and Teddy, and managing her depression a slightly better than ever. Charlie is ecstatic to be on the team handling Richard's newest book. As events progress, Charli somehow finds herself in a secret affair with Richard, which could jeopardize both their reputations and her job.

At twenty-three, Charlie is at least 30 years younger, quite naive, and a little starstruck at the beginning of their relationship. Without telling too much, this May-December romance is not turning out to be healthy, but one full of one-sided control and manipulation. Thank goodness for her "non-blood" family, Teddy and Cecelia, who provide her with the love, friendship, loyalty, and support she so desperately needs.

Excellent debut novel filled with bittersweet moments, bad choices, exposing vulnerability, and the need for healthy emotional growth.

I was completely hooked by this book from the start. I connected instantly with the main character, Charlie. Oh, Charlie... you poor, misguided girl. I adored you, even when I wanted to shake some sense into you. There’s something so vulnerable and genuine about her that made me want to wrap her in a hug while also yelling, “Why are you doing this?” Her inner world, every conflicted thought and questionable decision, felt so real and familiar. She reminded me of who I used to be, someone who believed love could heal anything and who thought putting someone else first meant being strong.

Charlie’s toxic relationship hit a little too close to home. Watching her lie to friends and family, keeping them at a distance because she already knew they wouldn’t approve, was tough. But I understood. That stubborn little flame of hope she held onto, thinking maybe things would get better, felt so heartbreakingly human. It’s that tug-of-war we’ve all felt at some point. Your brain tells you to run, but your heart begs you to stay. Love can really twist you up like that.

Thankfully, there was more than just heartache. The moments of light came from the people who surrounded Charlie with love. The family she chose, not the one she was born into. Their loyalty, humor, and kindness added a beautiful contrast to the pain and made the story feel whole. I loved being in their presence.

This book struck a perfect balance between sorrow and sweetness. It made me laugh, cry, and revisit some of my own memories. It’s one of those stories that stays with you long after you finish it.

Gratitude to NetGalley and Ballantine for allowing me to read this ARC and provide an honest, unbiased review.

This is a tough review for me to type. Frankly, I only finished reading it because I made the commitment having received the ARC.

TLDR: it wasn't for me but might be powerful for people who have experienced or are experiencing toxic relationships. I would call this a dark drama.

First, here are the trigger warnings:
--Substance abuse
--Death/grief
--Suicidal ideation
--Sexual assault
--Child loss/abortion

What I do like:
--LGBTQIA+ supportive
--Their initial encounter had subtle noir vibes, which I thought would be a fun or at least enjoyable approach to the story. (That was the only instance though.)
--There were some moments of profundity that I enjoyed, one example being when she spoke of her stepdad.
--The boldness of Richard's initial invitation via email was exciting.
--There were instances of symbolism and foreshadowing that were ultimately completely accurate.
--I smiled when she was with Finn.
--I'm glad that she survived everything and that she is relatively thriving.

The synopsis reeled me in, and the cover was beautiful, modern, yet vague enough to hold intrigue. Reviewing it the synopsis and cover right after having completed the book, they just don't seem to land accurately.
--For the author's debut, yes I would say it's impressive so I do agree with that portion of the description.
--I think that the synopsis sold Charlie short on how actually obsessed she is with Richard. Yes, it mentions "all-consuming" the relationship is, yet the synopsis hadn't prepared me for the gravity of their situation.
--The synopsis includes "what it means to love yourself," and although this is shown at the end, I do think that it should have been made more prominent for it to really land with readers. While we got to see the immediate beginning of her healing journey post-"breakup", I wish that there had been more time spent sharing the journey of how impactful therapy, community, and self-work had on her. Instead, we saw that beginning I mentioned, then we jumped 15 years ahead and she summed up what had happened in a couples, making it feel rushed and not necessarily dissatisfying but also not outright satisfying. I wanted it to be more profound.
--The cover doesn't really tell me much about what I might expect within the pages, although the artwork is beautiful. The font is almost playful, which doesn't land for me either.

Overall notes:
--I was glad to see that Charlie had some moral standards she considered, however overall I couldn't connect with Charlie or root for her. I felt more connected to Ophelia and Eddy.
--I found myself annoyed with Richard from the start. While I am sure his tone was written in a way that would clearly discern their age gap, it was so stuffy and emotionless to me.
--There were several instances of redundancy throughout the story.
--From about 26% until about 84% I found myself grimacing, except for the times with Finn. Starting at about 54% I had the urge to yell at Charlie, almost as if she were naive in a scary movie and the killer was right behind her. Around that same time is when I realized I was only continuing to read it because I'd received the ARC and committed to reviewing.

Ultimately, I'm not writing this book off completely, because I do feel that it could be wildly impactful and beneficial for those who have been in toxic relationships since so many aspects are covered, from beginning to crumbling end and beyond. My hope is that it can help validate what they went through and be a tool in their healing journey.

For fans of dark and emotional fiction! Set in London, Charlie (short for Charlotte) is a young literary publicist who gets into an intense affair with the much older and married Richard Aveling, who is her literary idol and her company's biggest author. We get to know Charlie and her past, and why this relationship takes such a hold of her life and almost costs her everything. If you enjoyed The Rachel Incident or My Dark Vanessa, this is for you! I will say that the first 30% or so of this book was on the slower side, as it was setting up Charlie's work life, the death of her mother and relationship with her friends which are all very important to the rest of the book, but it took a while to get through it. It might have been a me problem! But the last 70% of the book I couldn't put down, and this was an easy A+.

close enough welcome back norman fucking rockwell .... girls putting themselves through hell to feel loved, seen and connected, to be able to fill a void inside them, i will love you always charlie my girl :(

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for this ARC.

Strong writing in regard to Charlie’s grief journey after the loss of her mother and how that shaped her teenage years and young adulthood.

The interest I had in this book in the beginning, was lost halfway through when Charlie kept making repetitive questionable decisions that prioritized the relationship she believed she had with Richard.

She had both her 2 best friends and I stressed.

Things worked out well in the end for her, especially with her career, but the plot felt rushed when compared to most of the book being about the toxic obsession and impact on her mental health from it.

Bitter Sweet” left me with complicated feelings—I was constantly oscillating between being absorbed in the enticing literary world of these characters and being so bored and put off by the pretentiousness of it all. I of course knew the plot was around a young PR assistance falling in love with the much-older star author whom our main character, Charlie, has been infatuated with her whole life, but I didn’t realize that was really the <i>only</i> plot.

The book is straightforward in the way that the readers, and Charlie, know this affair is wrong and she’s foolish for thinking it could be anything more than it is, but there are times where you’re rooting for her success and amazed at her naivety. I wished to see a bit more growth and complexity in Charlie’s personality and the affair itself, especially given that the affair felt so sudden and almost forced initially.

The writing was solid and the supporting characters have more nuance than I might have anticipated, but the over-glamorization of publishing and romanization of authors was too overbearing for me to actually relate to these characters, and it felt a little off putting, so much so that I wasn’t enjoying the book as much as I wanted.

This was a hard-hitting read especially in the context of all the recent n*il ga*min information coming out over the last year. Literary fiction books land well for me when I feel like they could easily be true: though Charlie's story is unfortunately not unique (see previous) it feels like an authentic perspective at how insecure, egotistical men wield power in the publishing industry. Charlie's struggles with depression and isolation are similarly portrayed with a keen, occasionally painful truthfulness, balancing the hard & ugly aspects of the illness with genuinely good advice on seeking a path to recovery.

Still, I felt so deeply neutral about Richard and Charlie's relationship (and Richard generally) that it was difficult to stay emotionally engaged throughout the story. I found the superior dynamics to be those between Charlie and her two best friends and Charlie and her father (+ his new family). I especially adored Charlie & Ophelia's relationship: it is rare to find a depiction of a truly supportive, excellent friendship in literary fiction. Too often books involving extramarital affairs focus on punishing the protagonists' behavior by showing how their infatuation loses them friends and loved ones. Without giving spoilers, Charlie goes on a refreshing, opposite journey that emphasizes the power of radical love & acceptance of friends and family in helping a person heal through and away from a toxic relationship.

charlie, young and emotionally vulnerable, falls hard for richard, a famous author who is significantly older and significantly more powerful. his work impacted her many years before their initial meeting and richard was something of an idol to charlie before she knew him. this sets up the readers to witness their relationship dynamics from a high-level view. it wasn’t always pleasant and it certainly wasn’t always respectful. charlie makes some poor choices and we follow along as she learns the repercussions. at her lowest point, charlie’s pain is palpable.
i don’t think i expected this to be a light read but it felt a lot darker and more frustrating than i was expecting. thank god for charlie’s friends who had a million and one reasons to eliminate her from their lives but who chose to remain dedicated and trustworthy. they carried her through time and time again.

thank you to random house publishing group - ballentine books - for providing this book for review consideration via netgalley. all opinions are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-arc!

To be honest I was expecting to feel more from this book, but I ultimately didn't and that's okay. I believe that the inner monologue of the main character drained me and it wasn't thought provoking or interesting. However, when breaking down one's own sadness, pitfalls, and struggles it can feel draining and I think that was the intention there. I don't mind depression or sadness but it felt like this was on the spotlight for majority of the book. Nevertheless, I thought the book was descriptive (yet a sort of rushed pacing in some moments), a bit engaging, but otherwise just a bit on the dull side. I did like the ending which I felt tied into the title of the book and ultimately the whole relationship.

I'd recommend this book if you love reading about relationships and complex situations. Bitter Sweet will be published July 8th 2025.

Thank you, #Partner @ballantinebooks, @randomhouse, and @netgalley for my #gifted (free) copy. Pub date 7/8/25.

This was a slower character driven novel, but very addicting. The FMC really made me feel all the emotions she was going through and I wanted to hug her and scream at her at the same time. I thought the author did an amazing job portraying mental health and depression 👏👏. I loved that this book was set in the publishing world, and it was awesome to get a sneak peak behind the scenes of working at a publishing house.

Charlie landed her dream job as an assistant at a London publishing house. She is most excited about working with and helping out on publishing Richard Aveling's next book. Richard is a famous author and the world has been waiting on his next book. Charlie grew up reading Richard's books with her late mom, so this is very special for her. When Charlie and Richard meet for their first time, they both feel a connection, but Richard is married.....

The prose in this was exquisite and flawless. Every sentence was crafted beautifully and I always felt invested. I also really loved the insights into working in the publishing industry. One thing I did not expect, and that I feel the title and cover don’t adequately prepare readers for, is how incredibly sad this book is. It is heavy throughout the entire read and does not let up. Lots of bitter, not much sweet. So much so that I had to take a break and read something lighter halfway through. But I do think it will deeply resonate with readers who have lost a parent at a young age.

This book is nothing if not readable—so much so that I found myself pulled deep into its world, even as it drained me. The writing is lush, evocative, and often deeply immersive. The author captures the complexities of mental health, love, and literary ambition. But that’s also where the emotional toll kicks in. Reading this felt, at times, like reliving a relationship that many of us would rather forget, or at least not stretch over 300 pages.
At the heart of it is a relationship between a young woman and her literary idol. The dynamic is magnetic but deeply unhealthy—romanticized in a way that feels convincing at first but eventually becomes repetitive and frustrating. We know how this ends, and yet the protagonist continues searching for something romantic in a situation that clearly isn’t. There’s an excess of alcohol throughout, and I couldn’t help but feel that much of what happens in the book simply wouldn’t have, if everyone weren’t constantly drinking.
Mental health is explored with honesty and sensitivity, though not without risk. For someone going through a similar experience, this might feel validating, but it could also be triggering. It walks that fine line—does it help you understand yourself, or just reopen wounds?
The depiction of the publishing world is both fascinating and disheartening, filled with powerful, “magnetic” men who seem to drain the life out of everything.
I was hoping for a more dramatic arc of empowerment, a spark of female rage to break through the fog of depression.
By the end, I was less enchanted and more exasperated. Still, the “bitter” and the “sweet” both show up—and together they leave a taste that’s hard to forget.

Thank you Ballantine for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley.

I was really looking forward to reading this. The cover and title really drew me in from the get-go, and then the description caught my attention as well. I'd also read a few reviews on Goodreads that indicated I would quickly fall in love with the prose. However, upon downloading and reading it, I found that the narrative moved more slowly than what I typically enjoy. I found it hard to connect with the main character; she didn't seem to have that sense of "want" that often sparks immediate interest in the reader. I found that I never really wanted to pick the book up and would opt for something else over it, even though I'd been eager to read it at the start. In the end, I think this just wasn't the right fit, despite it hitting several points that I usually really connect with. I would still recommend it, because the prose was strong and the story is compelling. I'm going to chalk it up to an issue with my own taste, or maybe this wasn't the best time of year for me to read this one in particular.